


Always

by catvenger



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, Short Story, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29459916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catvenger/pseuds/catvenger
Summary: Two eleven-year-olds' fateful encounter in the playground turned ten years worth of adventure, self-discovery, friendship, and something more.
Relationships: Aphelios/Sett (League of Legends)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	1. Pinky Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this story will feature ten chapters; starting with Aphelios and Sett as eleven-year-olds. Watch them grow one year every chapter and experience all of their shenanigans together until they turn twenty. Enjoy (=^-ω-^=)

When little Aphelios arrived at the playground, there was already someone unfamiliar sitting on his favourite swing. It annoyed him since there were only two and the other creaked noisily. What's more is that the person wasn't even swinging; they're just sitting there doing nothing.

Resigning to his unfortunate fate, he sat next to the figure, but then started swinging as loudly as he can. He was a petty kid, and he wasn't going to let some random stranger get away with taking his spot. However, when they turned to look at him, he instantly stopped.

His companion, a boy around his age with red unruly hair and bright amber eyes, looked at him in annoyance. It wasn't the glare that made him stop, though, but the angry tears streaming down the boy's face. He aggressively wiped his tears, huffed and turned to face the other way again, but did not make a move to leave.

Phel felt bad. He didn't want to be selfish; if this new boy wanted the spot so much, he can get it. Seeing other people cry makes him feel sad, too. However, he didn’t want to show the kid that he was worried. He knew that some people didn’t want others to worry for them when they’re sad, like his dad. Maybe it’s the same case for this boy.

"I'm sorry. You can take that if you want; I'll just take this swing instead" he said, swinging a little bit on his spot.

Then the kid's shoulders sagged. He looked back at Phel again with tears threatening to spill out from his eyes; only this time he wasn't angry anymore. He actually looked genuinely sad; his lips twitching and his sobs getting louder, making Phel feel worse. He definitely thought he needed to reach out to the boy again.

"Are you crying because the noise annoyed you?"

It was annoying to him, so it might be annoying to the kid as well. However, the boy looked at him in confusion before shaking his head wildly.

"Then why are you crying?"

The kid closed his eyes as if trying to find the strength to explain himself. Then he looked at the ground and pawed at it with his feet.

"My dad left me" he spoke softly.

It didn’t make sense to Phel why the boy would cry because of that. His dad will definitely come back for him, just like how Phel’s own dad would leave him and his sister, Alune, to their mom when he goes to work. Maybe he just didn’t like being left alone. Still, he didn’t want the other kid to feel like he’s worrying for nothing, so “oh" was the only response he could muster.

They sat in silence with only the other kid's sobs as the noise between them. It was uncomfortable, but Phel felt the need to stay. Maybe the boy didn’t want company after all? If that was the case, then Phel probably had to leave. He just didn’t know how to do so politely.

He tried to quietly get up from his seat, careful not to make the swing creak, but sat down again after hearing the boy grow quieter until his sobbing completely stopped. That was an improvement. Maybe Phel’s presence was comforting. He felt a little bit pleased thinking he was somewhat helping but decided to talk to the other kid again. Even though he now knew it wasn't his fault, Phel still wanted to make sure this kid was fine. That was what his sister did for him whenever he was upset, anyway.

"Are you okay now?"

There was a bit of a pause before the kid answered with a meek "yes". He didn't say more, so even though Phel himself didn’t like talking that much, he felt obligated to continue just to make sure the other boy was really alright.

"I haven't seen you before."

"My momma and I just moved here."

"Well, there is a lot to explore in this neighbourhood so I'm sure you won't get bored" Phel told him, making sure not to mispronounce the word "neighbourhood" to avoid embarrassing himself in front of the new kid. It was a really hard word for him.

Then there was another lull in their mini-conversation before Phel spoke again. He was really reaching his talking limit today, but he needed to bring something up.

"That used to be my spot," he said in a matter-of-fact tone before continuing "but you can take it, I guess. You have to promise me you won't give it to anyone else, though."

He held his pinky out to the boy with an expectant look in his eyes. The boy only stared at him.

"What’s that?" the kid asked.

"It's a pinky promise."

"What's a pinky promise?"

Phel looked at him in disbelief. How can anyone not know what pinky promises are? They’re important so that people will actually do what they say.

"My sister said it's like when adults do something like contracts; you know, when they sign papers and stuff. It's a promise, but it's more powerful because we use our pinkies instead of papers and words. Here. Give me your pinky."

The other child hesitated before holding out his own pinky finger. Phel hooked their pinkies together before he let go.

"There. Now, that swing is officially yours."

The boy remained silent, but Phel liked to think that he made the boy happy with his sacrifice. Then he looked at the sky to see it beginning to slightly darken before facing the boy again to bid him farewell.

"I have to go now. It was nice talking to you."

He stood up and took a step, but the kid grabbed his arm before he could go.

"What's your name?" he asked so quietly that Phel almost didn't catch it.

"It's Aphelios, but you can just call me Phel. How about you?"

The boy offered a weak smile.

"I'm Sett."


	2. Best Friend

It's been one year since Sett and his ma moved into the new neighbourhood. The people were friendly and there were a lot of places to explore, but it was still difficult for both of them.

Sometimes, his momma would cry out of nowhere, and it would make him sad, too. After coming home from work, she would sit on the couch to rest before sobbing with one of her hands covering her eyes. Sett would rush to her side and then give her a hug to comfort her. Then both of them would cry.

They will stay like that for a while before calming down, with Sett holding onto his ma and her petting his hair. Both of them will eat dinner together and Sett will return to his room. This had been their routine for the first few months.

Eventually, Sett stopped crying and, after a while, so did his ma. Although she still looked tired most of the time, she would always make an effort to maintain a smile when Sett was around. He wouldn't return it because there wasn't anything to smile about. He always gave her hugs, though.

Most of the time when his ma isn’t around, he explored the neighbourhood. And when he went out, he always made sure to visit the playground, not because it was particularly fun. No; he always went there to see his new friend, at least that's what Phel is to him. They made a pinky promise, so they have their own little secret. Plus, they always sat next to each other so they have to be.

After a few more months, Sett became more talkative towards him. There simply is so much to learn for little Sett, like when the colourful birds will come back to the playground again, if there are more kids around the area or if there is a place where he can buy sweets whenever his ma won't allow him to get any. However, unlike with their first encounter, Phel was always quiet. He gave a few words or a nod as a response to Sett's never ending questions. Sett thought that was fine. Knowing Phel listens is comforting on its own. He wouldn’t swing, though. He just sits there.

"Why aren't you swinging?"

"This swing is very noisy" Phel replied.

"Do you hate noisy things?"

"Yeah."

That made Sett wonder if Phel was annoyed when he asked questions. Still, he enjoys the other boy's company even if he doesn't give as much response. And it's not like Phel ever stopped coming to the playground. However, it did make Sett uneasy.

"Are we friends?"

"No."

Sett visibly deflated. Maybe it was because he talked too much? And Phel just said that he dislikes noisy things.

"Do you hate me?" Sett asked.

But Phel shook his head.

"Do you think I'm annoying?"

"No."

"But you said we're not friends."

Phel looked at him with an emotionless stare before answering "Not yet."

The "yet" made Sett look at him like a puppy with hopeful eyes.

"How can we become friends?" he asked. Phel turned to him with a serious look on his face.

"I heard from my sister that before two people become friends, they tell each other their biggest, deepest, darkest secrets."

“But we already share a secret?”

“What secret?”

Sett felt embarrassed and sad. It seems like their pinky swear wasn’t as meaningful to Phel as it was to him. He explained what he thought, though.

“I thought the pinky promise we did before was a secret.”

Phel looked at him for a while, thinking, and then turned his attention to the sky.

“That’s not a biggest, deepest, darkest secret.”

"But I don't have biggest, deepest, darkest secrets. Does that mean we can't be friends?" Sett pouted. Aphelios thought for a moment, but then shook his head.

"I'll tell you my secret instead, so we can be best friends."

Sett perked up to this. He always wondered what it was like to have a best friend so he was super excited and listened carefully to what his soon-to-be best friend has to say. Phel took a deep breath before continuing.

"I don't think Santa is real."

Sett gasped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What made you say that?" he asked. Phel urged for him to come closer.

"I was trying to surprise Santa, so I hid near our Christmas tree. We don't have chimneys like in the cartoons but our tree was near our front window so mom said Santa just climbs there to bring the gifts," he whispered. "But then I saw Santa talking with my mom and I heard dad's voice. I think he was only pretending to be Santa."

Sett was sad. It was heart-breaking, but in his eyes, Phel always said the truth. He answered honestly whenever Sett had a question so he wholeheartedly believed in Phel.

"I haven't told anyone yet; not even my sister. This means that we're best friends now."

Sett was easy to please. He remembered what they were talking before and lit up.

"So this is what having a best friend feels like" Sett muttered happily before turning to Phel "Can we do the pinky swear again?"

"What for?"

"So that we'll always be best friends" Sett grinned but then immediately looked away, feeling bashful. He was afraid that his eagerness will push his first friend away, so he followed up with a "...if it's alright with you"

Phel's face was unreadable; it always has been, but it was especially so now. However, he nodded.

"My sister is already my best friend, but you can be my second" he said before holding out his pinky to Sett. "Always best friends?"

Sett smiled once again before locking their pinkies together. Now, he had a reason to smile back to his momma once more.

"Always best friends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're twelve here now ฅ•ω•ฅ


	3. Video Game

“Do you have video games at home?”

Sett shook his head. “I’ve heard our classmates talk about those but I don’t get it. What’s more exciting than playing in real life?”

“Sometimes, people don’t have the energy for real life games, Sett.”

“Like you?”

“Like me.”

“So you play video games?”

“I do.”

That piqued Sett’s curiosity.

To be honest, Phel really wanted to show Sett his video game collection. Alune still played with him once in a while, but she liked books more so he really needed another playmate. He liked books, too, but he thought games were better, especially when playing with someone else. Sett was the only other person that comes into his mind because he doesn’t have any other friends. Besides, he wanted Sett to try playing the games he enjoyed.

Plus, it was only after two years when Phel actually understood what it means when Sett’s father “left” him. He thought that Sett might be lonely when his mother goes to work. Sure, they hang out most of the time, but it wouldn’t hurt to let Sett take a few games with him to entertain himself when he’s alone. He’s even willing to lend Alune’s PSP to him. She wasn’t using hers anymore so she didn’t care what Phel did with it. He didn’t want to sound overly eager to Sett, though.

“You can borrow my sister’s PSP if you’re interested” he nonchalantly offered.

“Really?”

“Sure. Do you want to play now? We can go to my house.”

“Okay” Sett grinned.

Phel’s house was only a short walk from the playground, which is why he was always there. Sett, on the other hand, just genuinely enjoyed going outside. At first, Phel was only trying to be helpful by waiting for him to show up and telling him stuff about the neighbourhood. Eventually, Sett’s cheerfulness did grow on him, especially after their best-friends-forever declaration a year ago.

He opened the door to his house to see Alune sitting on the couch, watching TV. She looked at Phel, then at the stranger that was going to enter through the door, and then back at Phel.

“Who is that?”

“My friend. His name is Sett. Sett, this is Alune. She’s my twin sister.”

“Hi” she greeted him before turning her attention back to the TV. Sett smiled.

“Hello!”

“Let’s go to my room now” Phel said almost immediately. Alune was more talkative than him and naturally had more friends. He was certain that if there were no good shows at that moment, she would’ve stolen Sett from him. As much as he loves his sister, Sett was his first non-sister best friend so he had resolved to lessen their interaction. He was a petty kid before, and when he turned thirteen this year, he became a petty teenager now.

Both of them went upstairs to Phel’s room. His room wasn’t as big as his parents’, but it was spacious enough for him anyway, just like Alune’s. There was a galaxy blanket patterned with stars and a moon in the middle laying on top of a single bed with a white frame. A blue bookshelf filled with books, video game cartridges and game disks, and a white closet stood on either side of the bed. The walls were littered with randomly placed posters of famous video game franchises and movies. There was a white modern desk situated near the door along with a black office chair placed in front of it.

“You can sit on the chair” Phel said. They might be friends, but he doesn’t want Sett to sit on his bed.

Sett was fascinated with the posters. It took a moment for him to look at everything before doing as he was instructed, still not taking his eyes off the scene. Phel smiled to himself. He took pride in his collection and was happy that someone else had taken an interest in them.

He pulled out one of his favourites, Legends of League, a 2D fighting game, from his bookshelf. It was a safe pick since it was also Alune’s favourite before her love of books began. He also took his and Alune’s PSPs, giving her sister’s to Sett.

“Here.”

“Thank you” Sett replied. He was examining it carefully, curiosity in his eyes. Phel didn’t know if he was trying to figure out how to turn it on so he showed him.

“You can hold this, then let go and it will turn on. Here, take this and insert it here” Phel handed Sett the game disc, instructing him what to do while trying not to interfere as much as possible. He didn’t have to. Sett was following him carefully and, in no time at all, they managed to set up the game on both of their PSPs.

“So what do we do now?”

“This is a fighting game. We’re going to fight each other.”

“Isn’t it unfair to fight you? You already played this before.”

Phel thought that was a fair point.

“Don’t worry. You can use this character instead. His name is Garen. He’s easy to play.”

“Okay!” Sett replied excitedly. Then Phel spent a few minutes explaining what he can do with the buttons and the character.

“I think I got it” Sett told Phel.

“Let’s start.”

Phel planned to give Sett a few wins, but there was no need to. After a few practice matches, Sett was winning more than he should have for a beginner. He was a fast learner, and his reflexes were even faster. He wasn’t just mashing buttons like Phel originally thought he would. He actually memorized everything Phel told him about his character. Phel faced defeat after defeat.

However, he wasn’t bitter. If anything, he was more fired up than ever. Finally, he had another worthy opponent that wasn’t his sister.

“One more time” he said for the tenth time. Sett smiled at him and then nodded. He hoped Sett was enjoying playing with him as much as he did playing with Sett. After a while, Sett had to go home. Both of them were tired but elated. Phel asked Alune if he could let Sett borrow her PSP, to which she said “Sure, I don’t care” before he accompanied his friend to the front door.

“Did you have fun?” Phel asked. Sett turned to him with the same bright grin he always had on his face.

“Super! I’m going to keep playing. Are we going to play together again soon?”

“I’m going to finish my assignments tomorrow. Let’s play when we’re not busy.”

And Sett was satisfied with that answer. He started walking away from the house but then turned to Phel again with a smile and waved to him before going home. He was glad Sett had fun. Now he wouldn’t be lonely anymore when he’s alone.


	4. Comic Book

Sett was really excited to show Phel the comics that he just begged his ma to buy over the weekend. After a whole year of bonding with video games, they eventually branched out to other interests. Sett had always been fascinated with super heroes ever since he was small, but he used to think they only showed up in TV shows and movies. When Phel introduced him to comics, he was pretty much sold. He finally had a reason to read boring words because there were cool pictures with them.

After Phel convinced him to read “The Hitman and the Seer”, a story about a pair of twins with moon powers fighting against an armoured villain and her army of sun-obsessed warriors, he discovered his new favourite story from the same universe entitled "The Boss". It wasn’t anything special; just about a human-beast hybrid and his adventure to glory. The story isn't as well-written as Phel's suggestion but he still thought the main character was really cool and wanted to be like him. He was a straightforward person; where the Hitman and the Seer would formulate cunning strategies to defeat their enemies, the Boss would punch his way through his. He wondered if Phel liked those types of heroes as well.

He sat on his usual spot by the swings. Then he waited. And waited. Phel sure was taking a longer time to arrive than usual. However, after a few more minutes, he did show up. He sat next to his friend. Sett could barely contain his excitement.

"Hey, Phel. Do you know about the Boss?"

"The what?"

"The Boss. He's in the same world as the Hitman and the Seer. They rarely interact, though. Have you read his story before? I think it’s really cool when he-"

"Sett" Phel had interrupted him. Sett paused and then looked at his friend.

"Yeah?"

"We should stop reading comics."

Sett was surprised. Never had he thought that he would hear that sentence from Phel.

"What? Why?"

Phel hesitated before looking away from Sett.

"They're childish" Phel replied. Sett was more confused. Phel had never discouraged him before. They always talked about cool powers and heroes and even villains. He trusted whatever Phel had to say, but this was something else.

"No, they're not" he said, grasping his comic book tightly.

"Yes, they are. Those stories are about people with powers; and powers aren't real. Only children believe in things that aren't real like Santa or the tooth fairy, and we're already fourteen."

Sett's confusion was slowly turning into frustration. Why was Phel being like this? Just last week, they were talking about how cool the Hitman looked using one of his weapons to fire blue flames at his enemies.

"But you like comics, too."

"I just realized it out of nowhere, Sett. We're already freshmen. We need to start thinking about serious stuff so we fit in with other people. We're basically left behind” Phel replied, still not looking at Sett.

"Since when did you care about what other people thought?" Sett was really getting angry at Phel. It was the first time he felt such an emotion towards his precious friend, but he couldn't help it; not when Phel was being difficult.

"Since now."

Sett was about to say something else, but he could hear Phel's voice waver. It was barely audible, but he could hear quiet sobs. Was Phel...crying?

Sett immediately stood up and went in front of Phel, who turned his head away from his friend more. There's something Phel isn’t telling him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Phel said, his voice cracking. Sett cupped his friend’s face and made him look at him. Phel was trying to resist, but Sett already saw the tears streaming down Phel's cheeks. What left over anger he had towards him dissipated, leaving only intense worry for his dear friend.

"Phel, what happened?" he asked firmly. Phel was still not talking so Sett had to convince him more.

"We're best friends. You can tell me anything."

Phel hesitated but ultimately gave up. He nodded and Sett let go of his face. He wiped his cheeks with his sleeves before turning his attention to his friend.

"I brought a copy of the first volume of the Hitman and the Seer to school. I was going to reread it again" Phel started explaining. There were pauses as he was still trying to stop his sobs but Sett was carefully listening.

"One of my classmates told me liking superheroes is childish. I tried to tell him off but he-" Phel's explanation was cut short by a sharp breath. Sett went back to his seat but reached out to the other boy's back, rubbing his hand in a circular motion in an attempt to soothe Phel. After a while, it helped. He took a deep breath and continued.

"He tore off a page from my comic and threw it at me. Then he called me a freak. I couldn't do anything; he had friends and you were in a different class."

Sett didn't know how to feel. He was fuming. Someone hurt his best friend and he wasn't going to let that person get away with it. But at the same time, he needed to calm down. Phel was still upset, and he had to comfort him. He chose to brush off his anger for his friend.

"Whenever something like this happens, you have to tell me, okay?"

Phel nodded.

"Do you still like comics?"

Phel was silent for a while. He rubbed his eyes and then answered.

"Yeah."

"Do you still like the Hitman?"

“Yeah.”

“And the Seer?”

"They're both very cool."

"Then all I care about is what you think. I'll always be here for you, Phel"

Phel smiled, and that was it for them. Both had gone home after their short meeting.

After the incident, Sett would always stick to Phel like a towering guardian behind him. It’s a good thing that their classes aren’t far away from each other and their breaks matched. They even have a few subjects together. When they don’t, he would stay with Phel until the very last moment to go to his own class. No one would bother his friend anymore.

Phel would fuss over how unnecessary the bodyguard act was and how he wouldn’t bring his comics to school again, instead. Sett would just laugh at him before continuing their usual conversations about the newest heroes and their cool powers. Who cares if people thought that the things they liked were childish? In his eyes, it was them against the world. He might not have been as cool as the Boss punching his enemies, but he didn’t have to be. He got to be the hero Phel needed instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoever bullies our precious Phel will get haymaker-ed to the face (๑ↀᆺↀ๑)


	5. Mall Adventure

The mall was far from their neighbourhood so there weren't a lot of opportunities for Sett to go. His mother was always busy and he had no reason to go without someone else with him. He can’t go with his friend because Phel would only want to visit the mall if his family invited him. Otherwise, he was content with their neighbourhood. However, after four years of hanging out with him, Phel’s parents took a liking to Sett's bright and cheerful personality, and started treating him like their third child. They finally have decided to take him with them on their occasional mall trips, provided it was okay with his mom.

Therefore, Sett's awestruck expression was completely justified.

“You kids have fun. Let’s meet at the entrance by seven” Phel’s mom informed her children.

Both of them nodded. Then Phel looked at Sett who was still staring at the stores. Seeing him like this made Phel happy. He was going to make sure that Sett had an unforgettable day. But his sister unintentionally interfered with his silent plans.

"Hey Sett. You like games, right? I'll show you where the arcade is."

Sett's eyes lit up.

"Let's go!” he replied, completely hyped.

Phel was going to suggest that, too. He sighed before reluctantly following the two. After four years of hanging out, Alune was bound to have interacted with Sett. Both of them being talkative definitely helped. The more they talked, the more they found out how much they have in common.

Alune was interested in fantasy and sci-fi, and Sett never got over his superhero phase. Turns out, some of the shows Alune watches are same with the shows Sett watches. They'd talk a lot when he would come over at times when Phel was busy. Alune might've gotten over video games, but she remembered how much her brother and his friend would play nonstop inside Phel's room.

When Phel reached the arcade, his sister and Sett were already buying tokens while talking to each other. He followed them.

"What are you guys going to play first?" he butted in.

"I saw some 2d and 3d fighting games over there. Wanna go?"

Phel was about to say yes when Alune interrupted him.

"You guys always play together; it's time I show Sett the other person who used to kick Phel's ass."

"So you think you're going to beat me?" Sett smirked, a dangerous glint visible in his eyes.

"I'm confident" Alune gave an equally smug expression, crossing her arms.

"I'll make you regret giving me your PSP."

"Oh, it's on."

"I’ll watch" Phel said.

"No need, bro. This is a battle between me and him" Alune gave Sett the I'm-watching-you hand gesture, who did it to her in return. "Besides, watching other people play is boring. I definitely saw some shooter games over there. You like those too, right?”

He did, but that wasn’t the point.

“Go forth and rule the kingdom of Arcadia, brother.”

When Alune gave him some tokens, he didn’t try to argue. He took it and went to the first-person shooter game. He played for a bit, but didn’t enjoy. He was looking forward to playing with Sett. He also knew that Alune just wanted him to have fun by sending him away, but he wasn’t having any. Maybe there’s something else he can play.

He took a peek at the area of the arcade machines with fighting games. They were still playing, looking very focused and competitive. Phel was sure that they had already been playing for a long time. Or maybe it just felt long?

He stopped looking at them and turned his attention to the assortment of machines around him. He chose a basketball arcade and played for a while before getting bored again. Then he switched to other games until his tokens ran out. Everything he played felt uninteresting. When he finished his last game, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“You done?” Sett asked him. Phel nodded.

“How was it?” he asked.

“Your sister is good! But not as good as me, of course” Sett bragged. “She won a couple of matches, but I won most of them. I’m definitely the best here.”

“Whatever. The only reason you won is because I stopped playing.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have” Sett stuck his tongue out. Alune did the same. Then she turned to her brother.

“How about you? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah” Phel answered.

“Where do we go now?” Sett asked.

“I’m going to the bookstore” Alune replied in an instant. “There are obviously comics there, too; do you wanna go?”

“Sure!” Sett happily responded.

“Don’t you guys want to rest for a bit? Sit down for a while, maybe eat something?” Phel suggested. Alune shook her head.

“I’m good. If you want, you can go eat first. Just meet us at the bookstore” she said. She started walking away with Sett following behind her.

They were leaving Phel.

His pride didn’t allow him to chase after them and, instead, he went on with his original plan. He went to the nearest fast food store, bought a single burger, and ate it. It usually tasted good, but it was bland now.

Then he went to the bookstore to see Alune and Sett having a lively chitchat. Sett was holding a comic and doing exaggerated hand gestures, while Alune was laughing at him. Phel just stared at them. They were having fun without him. He was feeling...left out; which he himself thought was very childish. He definitely felt like a five-year-old who had his candy taken away from him and mentally slapped himself. Then he approached them.

“Are you done looking around?” he asked.

“Yeah. Let me just pay for this” Sett replied.

“I’ll look around more, then” Alune said. “Pay faster.”

Sett snorted. After he finished paying, the three of them walked around to see if there were any other shops that would interest Sett. Then Phel thought of asking something ridiculous.

“Sett?”

Sett turned to Phel and hummed in response. The latter looked at Alune to see if she was listening. She was messing with her phone. He gulped before he asked.

"We're best friends, right?"

He wanted to take the question back. The question caught Sett off-guard, but he just smirked.

"Of course. You shared your biggest, deepest, darkest secret with me; or did you already forget?"

Phel was very flustered, but retained his poker face to not give the satisfaction Sett was looking for. Trust him to remember a lot of the wisdom Phel spouted as a kid. That was so embarrassing.

"Never mind, don't talk to me ever again. And stand at least ten meters away from me."

"I'm kidding" Sett laughed. When he finished, he gave Phel a confused look. "Why suddenly ask, though?"

"He's probably jealous" Alune decided to join in on the conversation. Turns out, she was listening. "I think Phel thinks I'll take you away from him."

"No, I don’t!" "Really?" Phel and Sett responded simultaneously. One was glaring at her while the other gave her an amused but curious look. Alune ignored the former and continued.

"Yeah; that's what he used to do when he thinks our parents shower me with attention more. He’d walk up to them and ask-" she explained before turning to Sett with puppy eyes "You love me, right?"

Phel was turning red. Sometimes, Alune was just in the mood to mess around knowing she got all the dirt on him when he didn't have any on her. Sett chortled loudly.

"That's adorable. Phel, you're adorable" he said.

"Please shut up."

"Don't worry, dear brother. I'm not taking your best friend away from you. I have my own, you know?" Alune said and started walking near Phel. Sett decided to join in on the teasing and the two of them sandwiched Phel.

"You don't need to worry about her, Phel. She’s a pain in the ass. You'll always be my best friend. Do you want another pinky swear?"

Phel wriggled away from them and walked faster, leaving them behind. The two of them just laughed. Then they followed Phel to whichever store he wanted to go to. Eventually, it was time for them to go home so they head down to the entrance to meet up with their parents. Alune was looking around, walking slowly to try to drag out their mall time more. Sett walked up to Phel. The latter turned to face his friend.

"Sett?"

"Yes?"

"Was today fun?"

Sett smiled.

"It was very fun, best friend."

Phel glared at him before turning away. Sett chuckled.

"How about you? What do you think?" Sett asked.

"I had a horrible time; never speak to me again."

Sett laughed even more. By the time they got to the car, Phel immediately took the window seat. Sett sat next to him and Alune followed before closing the door. The ride home was silent.

It was a tiring day. Phel yawned; his eyes drooping. After a few moments, his head slowly gravitated towards his friend's shoulders. Sett smiled, leaned his head on Phel's before closing his eyes.

For Phel, the day itself wasn’t fun, but he enjoyed how it ended.


	6. Birthday Preparation

Sett’s ma was going to have her birthday today. He used to buy her flowers and make her a card, but now that he’s sixteen he had decided to put a little more effort into his preparation especially when he finally had a part-time job. He asked for Alune and Phel’s aid. The former will be helpful, but for the five years that he knew Phel, he had observed his friend’s passion for crafting and organizing things. He was a perfectionist of sorts. Therefore, in Sett’s eyes, there’s no one else more perfect for the job. It sure would come in handy with the decorations, plus it’s an excuse to spend more time with Phel. 

Sett felt weird when Phel was near. He would suddenly get self-conscious and nervous. But at the same time, it would also feel very pleasant; he would feel warm and fuzzy and deliriously happy. And at days he couldn’t see him, he would feel like there was something important missing with him. His friend became a staple to his life, but he wasn’t sure how what he felt towards Phel changed. He told his momma about this, but she only giggled at him, patted his head, and gave no explanation.

During the weekend, Sett went to the mall with his friends’ family and had already bought the decorations and other things he needed with Phel’s help. He trusted whatever Phel had in mind. Today, they brought all of the materials to Sett’s house.

“Sett, hand me the balloons, glue and paintbrushes. Sis, start hanging the fairy lights on that wall” Phel had instructed them. Sett handed him the materials his friend had asked for while Alune rummaged through their stuff. Phel laid out old newspaper and settled the materials on top of them.

“Inflate the balloons. Make sure their sizes are different” he told Sett before going through the materials. Then they all went to work with Phel’s guidance. Alune used a masking tape to attach the lights. Sett had finished his initial task and started rearranging some of the furniture. Phel painted glue on the balloons and stuck toilet paper on them before popping the balloons after they dried. They all went slowly and surely with their tasks until the decorations were all done by afternoon.

Sett offered them sandwiches for lunch before they started with the food. None of them were particularly good with cooking so no one took charge. Instead, the twins came back to their house to ask for their mother’s help. They had ingredients, but they absolutely didn’t know what to do. She willingly lent her helping hand with her children assisting her while Sett made sure the decorations were still in place. By the time it was getting dark, the preparations were finished. The twins’ mother came back to their house to let them enjoy the party. Alune, Phel, and Sett inspected their work.

The fairy lights were attached neatly to the wall of the living room. The clips, which had come as a set with the fairy lights, held several pictures of Sett with his ma printed on photo paper. The words “Happy Birthday” were attached to the center. White balls of varying sizes were strewn across the floor. Then they closed the lights. 

The decorations glowed. The fairy lights illuminated the photos very well. The white balls glowed with a pale yellow light, looking like small moons and stars. They were scattered, but everything was arranged imperfectly beautiful.

They all shared a silent smile. Sett wasn’t surprised with how everything turned out to be. He trusted Phel’s judgement and was rewarded for his faith. Alune handed both of the boys the party poppers Sett bought while she went outside to act as a lookout.

“I’ll give you a signal once I see her” she said.

“How will we know if you’re the one making it?” Sett asked.

“You’ll know once you hear it.”

She closed the door behind her. Sett could feel his heart beat faster. He was alone with Phel; he usually was alone with Phel but it feels strange right now for some reason.

“You okay?” Phel asked him.

“Yeah” Sett replied, shook his thoughts, and decided to focus on the task at hand. Then there was a loud holler before Alune entered the door.

“I swear, Alune-“ Phel started but his sister hushed him and they went into position.

When his ma entered the house, the loud sound from the party poppers startled her. Then her confused expression melted into one filled with wonder before she ultimately smiled.

"What's happening? What is all of these?" she asked, grinning brightly.

"Your birthday surprise. Happy birthday, ma!" Sett replied. His mother's smile turned soft and tears started flowing on her cheeks.

"Don't cry, ma. It's your special day" Sett said, wiping away her tears. After a few moments, she stopped and turned around to look at the decorations with awe in her eyes.

"Everything looks so nice. Did you do all this?"

"These two helped a ton. Wouldn't have done everything without them."

"That's so amazing; you and your friends are amazing” she hugged him. When she let go, her smile turned playful.

“Putting in so much effort for his mother; Sett would be a great and thoughtful husband someday, don’t you think?" she winked at Sett and turned to Phel. He had no reaction but her son blushed furiously. He didn't know why she had to bring that up out of nowhere.

"Yeah, he probably would" Aphelios replied just to be polite before Sett interjected. 

"Are you hungry? We cooked you a feast" he said.

"You cooked?" his ma asked in a surprise voice.

"Well, it was mostly Phel, Alune, and their mom but at least I bought the ingredients" her son replied, scratching the back of his neck.

His ma laughed and gave her son another hug before all four of them ate dinner together. The twins gave their gifts to Sett’s ma and wished her a happy birthday. He insisted that he was fine with them just helping with the decorations, but they were stubborn. 

They made Sett tell them that his momma liked reading and painting on her spare time. Alune had bought a collection of books with different genres and Phel had bought paint tubes and a paintbrush set. Sett’s ma was overjoyed with what she received and hugged both of them. They both offered to help with removing the decorations before they left.

“I’ll clean up on my own. Thanks for all the help. I owe you both” Sett said, sending them off. When the twins were nowhere to be seen, Sett’s momma approached him.

“They’re both amazing people. I’m so glad you have them as friends.”

“They are” Sett couldn’t agree more.

“Especially Aphelios.”

“Yeah, he’s amazing.”

“He’s quiet and he usually doesn’t smile when I see him, but I noticed how well-mannered and hardworking he is.”

“I already know that, ma. He’s my best friend” Sett smiled.

“Yeah, but if you decide to be something more, then your dear old ma won’t interfere.”

Sett sputtered.

“What are you saying all of the sudden?”

“Oh my; it’s kind of late and I’m really tired. I can already hear my bed calling to me. Goodnight, Settrigh” she said before leaving him. Sett just stood there, speechless. Sure, Phel made him feel things other people wouldn’t, and there would be times when Sett would think his best friend was cute apart from him being kind, generous, and overall just the best person in the world, but he never thought of being more than friends with him.

He was sure he didn’t like Phel that way…right?


	7. Homework Help

There was a knock on Phel's door, but he didn't care because he was busy. He had a paper due in about a week and he wanted to finish as soon as possible because exams were right around the corner, too. Whoever was at the door can just come in since it's always open anyway. And they did.

“Is this seat taken?”

Phel finally diverted his attention from his work and looked up to see a familiar grin greeting him, with said person pointing towards Phel's bed.

“If I said yes, you will still sit there” he retorted. Sett was definitely getting more and more comfortable with Phel's room for all the years they've declared it as one of their hangout spots. He still didn't want anyone messing up with his sheets, but this time he didn't care. He was really stressed.

“Good point" Sett chuckled before sitting on Phel's bed. Sett's presence was comforting but sometimes distracting. He's quiet when Phel asks him to be, but Phel just can't work on certain tasks with other people around him, especially when it's Sett. He had no idea why.

"What are you doing here? It's already nine"

"Heard from Alune that you were going to be busy starting today. I'm just here to remind you to pace yourself. Also, I got you this" Sett handed him a thermos bottle. "Something to keep you awake."

"Thanks. I owe you" Phel accepted, their hands brushing. He didn't think much of it but Sett looked away. He'd act weird sometimes whenever they made physical contact. Phel would pretend not to notice.

He turned his attention back to the thermos and opened it. The caffeine was going to help him through this suffering. He took a sip before Sett started talking again.

"Also I was bored, but I'll only stay for an hour. Do you need any help with that?" he offered.

"No thanks. I can do this on my own."

"If you say so. I'm here if you need me" he replied, patting Phel's bed before bringing out his PSP from his pocket. Phel doesn't know if Sett was intentionally showing him how much free time he had or not. Sett already finished his paper, but he didn’t particularly give it much of an effort. On top of that, his topic was easier than what Phel chose. That didn't bother him, though. He turned his attention back to his paper.

"Just stay quiet."

Sett grunted in response, already immersed in whatever game he's playing right now. Phel got back to work. But he couldn't do much because Sett's presence was very distracting. It's weird being around him but not interacting with him. Maybe Phel should ask him for help.

"Actually, can you help me?"

Sett instantly dropped his PSP and placed his hand on Phel's desk, his figure looming over his friend.

"Sup?"

That was way too fast. Phel hadn't come up with anything to ask Sett's help for. Plus, he was way too close. Phel couldn't think straight.

"Can you move a little bit?"

Sett retracted his arm.

"Sorry; I got excited."

"Excited on helping me with schoolwork?" Phel stalled until he found something to make Sett do.

"Uh, I guess?" Sett scratched the back of his head. "So, what you need help for?"

"Can you search some sources for this topic?"

"Sure" Sett replied, bringing out his phone before typing whatever Phel asked him to search for. Phel sighed quietly.

"Here, I think these are good."

"Thanks."

"Do you need me to search anything else?"

"Uh...sure. Can you search more about this other topic?"

"No problem" Sett replied. They went on a back-and-forth like that until an hour had passed. Phel was able to finish half of the paper, which was good progress considering the time he spent doing it.

"Thanks for the help."

“Anytime. Still got a lot to do?”

“Kinda.”

Sett extended his arms; inviting his friend in them.

“What are you doing?”

“I heard hugs are restorative.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. Now come over here.”

“What do I get from this?”

“C’mon, just try it, you grouch; works when momma does it to me.”

Phel sighed but complied. He stood up from his chair, went to Sett’s open arms, who immediately embraced him as soon as he was within reach. Phel just stood there awkwardly with his arms at his sides. They stayed like that for a while, and when his friend didn't show any sign of letting go soon, he tried to wiggle away. Sett, however, just held him more tightly.

"Hugs shouldn't be one-sided. I'm not letting go until you hug me back."

Phel groaned for a long time then sighed in defeat. He wrapped his arms around Sett's middle while Sett rubbed his friend’s back in a comforting motion. Afterwards, the hugging monster kept his promise and let go.

"See, isn't it nice? Doesn't it soothe your mind? Heal your soul? If you had any, that is."

Phel ignored the last remark.

"Sure. Are you going to go now?" he asked in an impassive manner.

"You're very eager to kick me out" Sett exaggeratedly pouted.

"I need to concentrate. Go now."

"Fine; I'm leaving" he replied. "Just kick out the world's greatest friend who gives free coffee and the world's greatest hugs."

Sett was already on his way when Phel stopped him.

"Wait."

Sett stood still while waiting for what Phel had to say. He hugged Sett for a second before letting go, which caught the latter off guard. He didn't mind, though, and just smirked at his friend.

"Look who comes crawling ba-"

"Leave. Bye" Phel cut Sett off, closing the bedroom door on his face. Sett just laughed before leaving.

Why had Phel done that? He wasn't really physically affectionate to his family to begin with. Maybe Sett was just different. He felt like family, but also more than that. Phel shrugged the thought off. All he knows was that he enjoyed the hug. It was warm and comforting.

It felt like home.


	8. Idle Talk

Sett and Phel were having an idle chatter in the latter’s room. Both of them sat on their usual spots; Phel on the bed and Sett on the chair. They had a lot of free time after their exams but they weren’t exactly in the mood to do anything specific. After a few moments of deliberation, they decided to play Phel’s old co-op farming game together. There would be days when both of them wouldn’t be in the mood for games with combat and action, and today was one of those days.

“Help me harvest the potatoes” Sett told his friend.

“The other night I dreamt I was a potato. Did you have weird dreams recently, too?” Phel said out of nowhere.

“Sure. Now help me please” Sett replied. Then he remembered that he, on some nights, would dream of Phel. His dreams were fairly boring; just the two of them watching movies together. But the odd thing is that they always held hands. He wasn’t going to tell Phel about that, though. 

“Did you know that dreams are the manifestation of our deepest desires? Maybe I do want to become a potato; I don’t know” Phel added, cutting off his thoughts.

“No, they’re not” Sett replied almost immediately, feeling embarrassed. He was scared for a moment, thinking Phel read his thoughts. His friend didn’t bother looking up from his game, though, so he calmed down. “Just help me with the potatoes.”

“I’m going to cut trees over here instead. Harvest those by yourself.”

Sett stood up and walked to Phel then leaned towards him to look at his screen.

“Where are you? I can’t finish this on my own; I’m already running out of energy” Sett said before noticing how close he was to his friend. He pulled back. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.”

“Alright, I’m going to help you” Phel groaned. Sett smiled again before he noticed two non-player characters holding hands and walking around their farm.

“Wait, the NPCs date each other in this game?”

“Some of them do depending if you do quests or not. There are other romanceable NPCs for players to date, though.”

“Can two players date each other?” came out of Sett’s mouth, but his eyes grew wide upon realization. Phel looked at him with the same deadpan expression.

“Why? Do you want to date another player?”

“Maybe” Sett murmured.

“As far as I know, you can” Phel replied nonchalantly before returning his attention back to his PSP.

Sett sighed. He almost thought Phel had caught on. 

But maybe he did want that to happen. He thought a lot about what his mother said to him two years ago and concluded that it did make sense. The only possible reason he was feeling the way he is towards Phel is because he liked him more than just friends.

Then he thought of something crazy. He thought maybe it was the perfect time to confess right now. There wasn’t anything important that was going to interrupt them soon like assignments and projects. If he wanted to tell Phel how he felt, he had to do it while he still had the opportunity.

However, he also started to worry. Would Phel think he’s weird? What if he hated him for it? What if after he confesses, Phel makes fun of him and tells Alune about it? There simply was too much on the line. Phel was his dearest friend, and he didn’t want to lose what he already has with him. On the other hand, he also trusted Phel. He had always been a loyal friend and would never intentionally harm Sett. If Phel was going to do all of that, then he wouldn’t be friends with him to begin with.

His musings were interrupted again by Phel.

“You asked me to help you harvest the potatoes so you can slack off?” his friend complained.

“I like you, Phel.”

Sett put his hand on his mouth. That was out of nowhere. Phel responded calmly, though.

“I like you, too, Sett.”

“No. It’s not like that. I mean, I like-like you.”

“Sure. I like-like you, too. The potatoes?”

Sett was starting to resemble a tomato.

“I don’t think you get it” Sett muttered. “When I said like-like, I meant I want to take you out on a d-d—da” Sett couldn’t say it. He took a deep breath, but did not continue. Phel hesitated but tried to continue what Sett had to say.

“A date?” he asked bluntly. It seems like he caught on. Sett blushed furiously, but he swore Phel’s cheeks were starting to get pink. He would’ve missed it if he didn’t look so intensely at Phel.

“Y-yeah. Pretty much” he replied.

“Why?” Phel asked.

“Why what?”

“Why do you want to date me?”

“I don’t know. I just do. C’mon, Phel, I’ve been trying to flirt with you since last year. You really didn’t notice anything?”

“No” Phel admitted. Sett already knew his friend was bad at reading the room, but he didn’t think he would be this dunce. To be fair, though, his flirting was pathetic. All of them would pass as just complimenting your friend. He also started hugging Phel a lot, but that was also normal between friends. He mentally facepalmed himself.

“Well, I like you. A lot. Not that I didn’t like you a lot before but I’m just saying I like you more now and in a different way and, uh, what do you say?” Sett gulped. He was super nervous. This was his best friend of seven years that he was asking out.

“Yeah. Sure” Phel answered. Sett couldn’t believe his ears. Was it really just that easy? Or is he only dreaming right now? He didn’t feel the need to pinch himself, though; doing that would be way too cliché.

“Does this mean we’re a thing now?” Sett felt the need to ask.

“Of course. What else would it mean?”

“I’m your boyfriend now?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re my boyfriend, too?” Sett knew he was being ridiculous, but he just felt the need to really confirm it.

“Why do you keep asking? I already said yes” Phel replied.

Sett was so happy that he could kiss Phel, so he asked nicely.

“Then, can I kiss you?”

Phel looked at him with surprise in his eyes, and then turned his gaze away from his new boyfriend. Both of them weren’t playing the farming game anymore.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t mind” he said, obviously dumbfounded. There’s only so much shock a person can tolerate before their composure fully crumbles. Phel was trying hard to maintain his poker face but he was already as red as his friend. Sett was very excited so he went for it. It didn’t help that he was seeing an adorably flustered side of Phel today.

Sett walked towards his boyfriend and brought his face to him. Phel’s lips were soft on his. It was as awkward as the latter had imagined; he was slightly shaking because he felt overwhelmed. But at the same time, he felt an ache on his chest; like he had been waiting for this for years and now it was finally happening. They stayed like that for a moment before Phel pulled back.

“Was that bad?” Sett asked, worried.

“No.”

Sett sighed in relief. Their kiss was short, but it was meaningful. However, Sett wanted more.

“Can we do it again, then?”

This time Phel didn’t talk and nodded, instead. Their lips met once more. This time, it was more passionate; like all the awkwardness of their first one evaporated and what was left was their desire and longing for each other laid bare. They stopped to take a breath with both of them staring at each other’s eyes, their foreheads glued to each other. Phel’s eyes were mesmerizing; they tempted Sett to become greedy for more so he simply complied. He didn’t ask anymore. He just brought his mouth near Phel’s again, who met him halfway; continuing their kiss before the door burst open.

“Hey, bro, have you seen my Math noteboo-“

Both of them immediately pulled away from each other to see a fazed Alune. She stared at them for a few seconds and then suddenly had a huge interest towards Phel’s bedroom floor.

“Oh yeah, I remember; I think I put it in the bathroom. Thanks bro” she said without breathing before closing the door. Sett let out a breathy laugh while Phel just stood there awkwardly.

“I think I have to go now” Sett suggested.

“Yeah” Phel agreed.

Sett crammed his things into his backpack and opened the door, but not before looking back at Phel with his signature grin.

“Bye.”

He was already going to go home without waiting for an answer when Phel stopped him.

“Wait.”

Sett stood in his spot, having a sense of déjà vu. He noticed how Phel was the type to linger. Sett waited for his boyfriend to walk towards him. Phel gave him one last kiss before waving him goodbye.

It was just a light peck, unlike the first three kisses, but it didn’t have to be more than that. Sett already understood what it meant. It wasn’t a “goodbye” kiss; just a “see you later”. It was a promise that things didn’t have to be awkward nor different between them friends, and it was also a reminder that they were now something more. They were going to explore this uncharted territory of being “together” hand-in-hand. If it was possible for Sett’s smile to grow even brighter, it definitely was now.

He closed the door behind him and went downstairs to see Alune looking at him with a smug expression that slightly resembled a Lenny face. He grinned at her but flipped her off. She smirked some more and did the same to him before he left. It was already dark out. He was greeted by his mother when he got home, who noticed Sett’s noticeably chipper demeanour.

“You seem happy” she smiled. “Did something good happen?”

“Not much” he smiled back.

“Just that my dreams came true.”


	9. Other Friend

Sett had been distant lately. It’s been almost a year since they started dating and he had been nothing but clingy to Phel. Sett would smother his boyfriend with kisses and compliments and hugs. Recently, however, he stopped hanging with Phel. What's worse is that Sett became closer to his classmate in History named Diana. There were times when Sett would tell him that he's busy, but then catch him hanging out with her. Phel wouldn't tell him, though.

He was definitely getting jealous, but was it okay for him to be? He already had an embarrassing moment like this before and didn't want to repeat it. In the end, he just decided to trust Sett. He had to have a reason on why he told his boyfriend he was busy only for him to hang out with someone else, right?

After a few days, however, it got worse.

"Sett" Phel tapped his boyfriend's shoulder, excited to show something funny from his phone, but Sett nudged his hand away.

"I'm busy" he replied, before walking away. That was very unlike Sett. He had changed, but Phel had no idea why. Did he finally think Phel was boring once they started dating? Why all of the sudden after one year?

However, he once heard Sett and Diana talking to each other. He couldn't hear much except for Sett saying "Can you come to my house after class?" 

Why would he say that? Why would she do that? Diana just nodded before they walked out of Phel's earshot.

Then Sett stopped coming over to his house. Phel went to his boyfriend's house instead, but when he knocked, no one answered. He could, however, hear scuffling inside. He would knock again and wait for a few minutes before giving up. Why were his boyfriend and his classmate pretending to be away? Or was he just getting paranoid and started hearing things? They had to be inside, right? It bugged him so much.

The next day, Phel looked exhausted. He couldn't sleep and kept on tossing and turning on his bed. When he did doze off, it was way too late. He slept through his alarm and Alune had to wake him up to make sure he's not late. Needless to say, it wasn't a great day. There was just too much to think about, even after classes had ended.

Why would Sett invite some random classmate to his house but not let his boyfriend in and pretend they're not there? Was it still not sensible to get jealous at that moment? Was he cheating on Phel? Finally, Phel had enough. He made up his mind to confront Sett when he received a message from his boyfriend.

"I'm at my house. I have something to tell you. Come here ASAP" was what it said. Was this it? Was Sett finally going to break up with him? Eventually, he found the courage to go. He knocked on the door and was immediately greeted by confetti to his face. Phel froze on his spot.

"Surprise!" his boyfriend said out loud. There were star-shaped decoration messily attached all over the living room wall and a few ones dangling from the ceiling. The words "Happy Birthday" were attached to the center of the wall. There was confetti everywhere. Sett was standing at the middle of the mess, wearing a party hat and carrying a huge box with a galaxy-patterned wrapper. 

Wait, birthday? Whose birthday? Phel's? Is that why Alune was being especially nice to him so much to wake him up today?

"Happy birthday, mooncake" Sett greeted Phel with the same bright grin, albeit more excited this time before it turned into a frown. Something was wrong.

Phel touched his cheek to find tears on them. He looked at Sett for a moment like he also didn't know what was happening with himself, then his lips twitched and he started to cry. Sett gently placed what he was holding on a table before rushing to Phel's side.

"Phel, what's wrong?" he asked before hugging him.

"I thought you didn't want me anymore."

"What? Why would you ever think that?" Sett was genuinely confused.

"You were ignoring me, and avoiding me, and telling me you're busy when you hang out with someone else."

Even with his vision blurred by the tears, he could see the guilt and regret slowly poison Sett.

"I'm sorry, Phel. Diana- she has a girlfriend so I was only asking her for relationship advice. This is my first time dating and, well, I'm stupid so I don't know what to do. She told me I should stop being so easy and start playing hard to get so you wouldn't get bored of me."

"That's terrible advice."

"I know. That's what I told her but she brushed me off. I also asked for her help preparing for your birthday because I'm not creative on my own" he said, gesturing to the decorations. "It had to be someone who isn't your sister; she would just tell you everything."

"She would."

"Diana helped me make all this design. I'm so sorry. I've been caught up with the preparations that I didn't think I'd make you think like that. I can't believe I made you cry."

"You did."

"I'm really sorry, Phel."

"You should be."

"I am. I'm an idiot, but please don't cry anymore. Please? It makes me sad when you're upset."

"I'll keep crying," he said in between sobs "because I want to."

Sett was probably shocked. It had been a lot of years since he had seen Phel cry. He never did because there was no reason to when Sett is around. 

He was worried sick. How fast his grin transformed into a frown showed just that. He hugged Phel so tightly as if letting go would make his boyfriend disappear. Phel didn't bother to return the hug. He was still upset and he cried more. Sett was rubbing his boyfriend's back with his left hand and petting his hair with the other.

"Phel. Please don't be sad anymore. I swear I won't do this ever again. I promise. We'll do whatever you want to do on your birthdays. You'll have the happiest birthdays ever."

Phel didn't reply, but he was starting to calm down. Eventually, he stopped shaking and just melted into Sett's embrace, then returned it. When they stopped hugging each other, Sett gave Phel a soft smile.

"I won't ever replace you, Phel. You're the most precious person to me," Sett whispered. "I love you."

"What?" Phel was shocked. What did Sett just say? He needed a replay just in case he heard wrong.

"What what?" Sett gave him a confused look.

"What did you just say?"

"I won't replace you?"

"No, after that"

Sett thought for a moment before he realized what he had just said. He looked at Phel with his eyes wide open, taking a few steps back.

"I- that...what I was trying to say-" Sett stumbled through his words before he sighed in resignation "I love you, Phel. I always have."

Sett took a moment to gather his thoughts and muster the courage to continue.

"The first time I met you, I already knew how important you were going to be to me. And ever since then, you always managed to surprise me. You've always been there for me, and you never stopped staying by my side" he said, wiping the remaining tears on Phel's cheeks and the new ones trying to come out. He leaned into Sett's touch, but had no response, so Sett decided to continue.

"I've always loved you, Phel. I can't imagine a single day I ever felt otherwise. And every day I see you, I just fall in love even more. I don't know how you manage to do it but there isn't, and there will never be, anyone who makes me feel this way" he brushed Phel's hair soothingly. Phel closed his eyes, content with the contact.

"You don't have to feel the same way. I'm not pressuring you to say it back. I just wanted to let you know. I HAD to let you know" he assured Phel. "Whatever you choose to do from here, I'll always support you. I love you, Phel, and that's my truth."

For a moment both of them were silent. Phel didn't know what to say to that. He'd known Sett for eight years, but this was the sincerest side he had seen from him from all those years.

Sett loved Phel, and he wasn't lying; that was his truth, and his eyes desperately screamed for Phel to see it; if his words weren't already enough of a proof. Some could argue that it's way too early to declare their love like this; they were only dating for a year. But Phel came to realize that he had been feeling the same with Sett even before that. Something about Sett's goofiness and cheerfulness; how he grins so brightly and how sweet he is to Phel everyday made him fall for his boyfriend, too.

Sett told him that Phel was always there for him, but it had always been the same case for both of them. Sett, too, was always there for Phel. And like Sett, Phel had to let his boyfriend know his truth.

He was never really good with words so he couldn't tell Sett all of the things he was thinking. Instead, he took Sett by surprise with a kiss. His boyfriend reciprocated. He wanted his actions to be his voice. Knowing Sett, though, he'd want confirmation. Phel had no choice but to oblige after pulling away.

"I love you, too."

Four words. Compared to Sett's declaration, there were only four words that came out of Phel's mouth. But love wasn't a competition; instead, he had hoped that it would be enough to convey everything he wanted to say. As if reading his mind, Sett smiled.

"That's more than enough for me" he replied.

"I love you" Phel said, not convinced that he delivered his message clearly.

"I love you, too" Sett kissed his boyfriend's forehead.

"I love you" Phel repeated; as if not saying it again will make their feelings vanish.

"I love you, too" Sett repeated as well, kissing both of Phel's cheeks.

"I love you" Phel said once more, this time as if challenging Sett's resolve. His boyfriend only smiled. He kissed Phel on the lips before giving his answer.

"And I love you, too."

Fresh tears flowed through Phel's cheeks, but it didn't matter. He smiled through them. This time he was sincerely happy, because there would be someone who loved him who would wipe it away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was sweet and all but Diana playing hard to get for her girlfriend (˵Φ ω Φ˵)


	10. Forever

Everyone was fast asleep, except for Sett and Phel. Tonight wasn’t anything special; Sett just invited Phel to come to the playground. When they arrived, they sat on their usual spots before letting a comfortable silence drift between them. The stars were more beautiful tonight; scattered throughout the night sky while the bright crescent moon shone. But Sett wasn’t sure if it had always been like that or if it was the company that made them look better.

"Hey, do you remember?" he asked his boyfriend.

Phel hummed as if to ask him to continue. Sett grinned.

"We met here a decade ago. In this exact spot."

"Only almost a decade” Phel corrected him. “And yeah, you were bawling your eyes out.”

"Hey, that was back then" Sett defended himself, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “Besides, I’m not the one who cried last year because his boyfriend won’t spend time with him.”

Phel ignored the last part. Sett had been using it as ammunition against him every chance he gets; there was no use giving it any attention.

“So you always cried back then? I never knew; you always had a stupid grin on your face when I see you”

"I always cried at home." Sett paused and then smiled at Phel. “And I only have a stupid grin when I see you.”

Phel was flustered but he decided to ignore that, too. He switched topics instead. 

"To be honest, I thought I made you cry. I was ready to give you my life savings at the time."

"I remember. I should've tricked you back then, got something from you; though not that a few candies from a child would matter to me now" Sett said with playfulness in his eyes before continuing "oh, sorry. I meant, 'life savings'."

Both of them laughed. Then Sett started to speak again.

"It was a hard time for me and my ma, you know? Personally, I don't know why I was so sad about that ass leaving, but looking back maybe I was just upset because she was crying. But I’m always thankful that you decided to show up when you did.”

“If I didn’t show up, would I be rid of you?”

“Never. I’d see you sooner or later if we didn’t meet that day”

Phel sighed in exaggerated disappointment.

“And you’ll tell me all about how Santa wasn’t real” Sett continued with a playful smile on his lips.

“Stop right there; or I won’t help you decorate for your mother’s birthday this year.”

“That’s mean. You know how my plans end in disaster” Sett pouted.

“With your impulsiveness, everything you do ends in disaster.”

“Then if you won’t help me, I’ll take Alune with me to the mall and we’re going to have the best day ever without you.”

Phel rolled his eyes.

“What are we, teenagers? The term expired last year; that won’t work on me anymore” he replied. “But you sure remember a lot of unnecessary things.”

"I sure do” then Sett had recalled a memory that made him happier. “Hey, we did something else back then. Do you remember?"

"You have to be more specific than that."

"Not like we did a lot of things the first time we met" Sett snickered, extending his pinky finger.

"What?" Phel asked in confusion before he recognized what Sett was trying to do. "Right, I promised to give you that spot. Honestly, I should've had compensation for that; it's a nice spot."

Sett chuckled.

"It still is" he replied. Phel just stared at him with the same deadpan expression. Sett continued. "I also made you promise that we’ll always be best friends. But those were pinky promises from before. We need to renew the contract now, don’t you think so?"

"And what am I supposed to promise you this time?" Phel sighed in exasperation. Sett extended his pinky towards Phel before speaking again in a low, serious voice.

"That we would always be together,"

Then his playful smile turned into a more meaningful expression.

"That we will always stay by each other’s side,"

Then he paused, looking straight into Phel's eyes with a hopeful glint in his.

"And that we would always love each other, no matter what."

There was no hiding Phel’s reddening face. He definitely was more expressive now and Sett loved it; he loved every side of Phel. He continued to look at him with an expectant gaze. Phel, on the other hand, didn't know why it took him a while to respond when there was only one real answer. He hooked their pinkies together, giving a bit of a tug, before flashing a reassuring smile.

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Stay awesome and hydrated. Until next time ฅ(＾・ω・＾ฅ)


End file.
